Martines (AUS) (1 janv. 1744 – 1 janv. 1812)

Description:

Martines’s masses are high solemn masses composed in a church style that was popular in Vienna from 1740-1760s for Sundays and feast days. Also referred to as missa longa and today typically described as a number mass - a work that divides large sections like the Gloria and Credo into separate solo and choral movements. Of the four masses there is only documentation that the third mass was performed, but most likely they were performed in churches in Vienna.

The masses are scored with the traditional kirchentrio (Viennese church trio) of vln 1, 2, and continuo with additional festive scoring of oboes, flutes, trombones, trumpets, and timpani. 18th-century masses were used only for church and sections of the mass were performed at the appropriate place in a Catholic service. The high solemn mass had a longer and more elaborate Kyrie (in 1-3 movements) and Gloria (in 1-10 movements) that were treated like a concert for the mass of the catechumens section to prepare congregants for the mass of the faithful and communion. The services would have the “feeling of church concerts with liturgical accompaniment.” After the Credo - the Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Benedictus, and Dona nobis were short in comparison. Often in the addition to a complete mass setting, a service would include other organ music, a sonata di chiesa, and solo motets for the offertory.

The parts for Mass no. 3 indicate an orchestra of 16 members: 3 violin I, 3 violin II, oboe I&II, trombone I&II, flute I&II, violincello, violone I&II, and organ. The parts also show a double choir of ripienists (singing only tutti sections) and SATB soloists (concertists) singing all solos for their part and tutti sections reinforced by the ripienists. The soloists and choir were all
male singers during this time with soloists hired choristers from the Hofmusikkapelle (Imperial Court Church) or from St. Stephens Cathedral. For example, Joseph and Michael Haydn were in demand soloists for performances of sacred music for the court and special occasions before their voices changed.
Martines’s masses are composed in both the “galant” and “learned” style. Galant typically refers to the popular Neapolitan style, with influence of Italian opera and secular styles with operatic solos, extended introductions for orchestra, homophonic texture, and dance styles
like the minuet.

Learned refers to stile antico, the strict style of fugues and other imitative processes. The forms of each movement are multi-sectional settings arising from line-by-line text treatment usually found with Gloria and Credo, or independent musical designs like ternary, binary aria, sonata, rondo, and fugue for shorter texts. The mixture of the galant and learned style can be seen in the division of larger sections like the Kyrie which was often split into three contrasting movements: Kyrie I (chorus), Christe (trio/quartet), Kyrie II (fugue).
Harmonically each section of the mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, etc..) start and end in the same key while sub-movements explore key areas and tempos related to the affekt of the text being set. Moments of word painting are found in the typical places like descending scales and sequencing on “descendit” and ascending arpeggios on “et resurrexit.” Martines also sets the text
for the choir in concise declamatory motives which would have been appropriate for church.

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